Abstract
BackgroundThe new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) carries a high risk of infection and has spread rapidly around the world. However, there are limited data about the clinical symptoms globally. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to identify the prevalence of the clinical symptoms of patient with COVID-19.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out. The following databases were searched: PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, medRxiv, and Google Scholar, from December 1st, 2019 to January 1st, 2021. Prevalence rates were pooled with meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was tested using I-squared (I2) statistics.ResultsA total of 215 studies, involving 132,647 COVID-19 patients, met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of the four most common symptoms were fever 76.2% (n = 214; 95% CI 73.9–78.5); coughing 60.4% (n = 215; 95% CI 58.6–62.1); fatigue 33.6% (n = 175; 95% CI 31.2–36.1); and dyspnea 26.2% (n = 195; 95% CI 24.1–28.5). Other symptoms from highest to lowest in terms of prevalence include expectorant (22.2%), anorexia (21.6%), myalgias (17.5%), chills (15%), sore throat (14.1%), headache (11.7%), nausea or vomiting (8.7%), rhinorrhea (8.2%), and hemoptysis (3.3%). In subgroup analyses by continent, it was found that four symptoms have a slight prevalence variation—fever, coughing, fatigue, and diarrhea.ConclusionThis meta-analysis found the most prevalent symptoms of COVID-19 patients were fever, coughing, fatigue, and dyspnea. This knowledge might be beneficial for the effective treatment and control of the COVID-19 outbreak. Additional studies are required to distinguish between symptoms during and after, in patients with COVID-19.
Highlights
The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) carries a high risk of infection and has spread rapidly around the world
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported more than 165 million confirmed cases worldwide, with nearly three million deaths as of May 22nd, 2021 (WHO, 2021)
Identifying the main clinical symptoms is essential for early detection and for the isolation of infected patients
Summary
The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and metaanalysis to assess the prevalence of the symptoms associated with COVID-19
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